OPINION: Charlotte’s Got the Sauce but Serves It Bland

After watching Charlotte wrestle with its own reflection for over a decade, I’ve come to one conclusion: The Queen City moves like a side character in its own story.

A banking powerhouse with deep Black history and cultural richness, Charlotte is caught in an unnerving cycle of self-comparison. I’ve sat in community discussions, spoken with police chiefs, worked with preservation specialists and engaged with the city’s arts and business circles.

Still, one sentiment keeps resurfacing: “Charlotte is trying to be the next Atlanta.” Or maybe D.C. or whatever major city is currently setting the cultural tone. It is as if success means being the understudy to another city’s greatness because Charlotte isn’t worthy of standing on its own.

That insecurity bleeds into everything — its branding, culture and leadership.

Charlotte, You Don’t Know Yourself

Charlotte is in an identity crisis of its own making. It wants to be a business hub but it also wants to be a creative capital. It wants to have deep cultural roots but it also wants to whitewash history for comfort. It wants to be progressive but it doesn’t want to actually do the work of prioritizing Black leadership, funding and historical preservation.

An example? The recent release of a Black history-themed jersey in collaboration with the Charlotte Hornets. I watched as a marketer, anticipating a campaign that would honor Charlotte’s Black legacy on a global stage. Instead, we got a campaign that introduced Charlotte to Charlotte — just another moment of inward-facing storytelling, afraid or unable to speak beyond its city limits.

On Feb. 7, the Hornets became the breeding ground for the NBA’s first-ever Black Excellence jersey. Let me be clear: My critique is not of the creative minds who brought the project to life. The artists, designers and visionaries behind that jersey did what they were supposed to do. The execution was high-level. The production was not the problem.

The marketing was.

Another thought that came to me in that moment: Did the creatives involved get paid what they deserved? If Charlotte wants to be taken seriously as a creative hub, it has to start compensating people appropriately. Too often, the culture is extracted but not properly valued. That’s part of the problem.

This isn’t just about branding. It’s structural and has become cultural. The reluctance to fully embrace and amplify Black identity isn’t just a marketing flaw; it’s a leadership and funding issue.

Too many decision-makers straddle the line between progress, preservation, diversity and dilution. In holding this position and constantly playing it safe, some leaders undermine Charlotte’s potential to be something greater than a financial hub with a decent arts scene.

Charlotte has everything it needs to be great. Rich Black history. Cultural depth. A strong business backbone. But instead of standing tall in its own identity, the city second-guesses itself.

Charlotte seems to keep its Black identity at arm’s length, hesitant to fully embrace and amplify it. That’s a massive part of why it struggles to make an impact beyond its own borders, afraid to take up too much space. Afraid to own its Blackness. Scared to be bold, be loud and demand attention.

Maybe that’s what Queen Charlotte felt as she navigated both sides of the coin in her multicultural life. This city vigorously dances between ambition and insecurity; it’s exhausting to watch.

So how does Charlotte shake this identity crisis and finally claim its place?

Stop Chasing Atlanta’s Shadow

Charlotte isn’t Atlanta, and that’s fine. The city doesn’t need to mimic the cultural playbook of another powerhouse to prove its worth. It needs to build its own.

Atlanta succeeded by embracing its Black identity unapologetically — by making space for Black creatives, Black-owned businesses, and Black wealth. What’s uniquely Charlotte? What’s the identity that belongs to this city alone? That’s the question leadership should be asking.

Tell the World Who You Are

Charlotte, you’ve got world-class creatives, deep Black history, and a thriving entrepreneurial scene. So why are you marketing like you’re explaining yourself to the neighbors instead of announcing yourself to the world? The marketing approach is too insular — talking at Charlotte instead of for Charlotte. Stop trying to make culture corporate.

Put Black Leadership & Funding First

If you want culture, fund it. If you want authenticity, hire it. If you want greatness, invest in it.

If Charlotte wants to be known for its creative and cultural impact, it must stop treating Black art, business and influence like an afterthought. That means funding Black-led projects at the same level that corporate-backed initiatives get funded.

It means placing Black decision-makers at the head of significant cultural conversations — not just as consultants but as power players. If Black influence is good enough to market, it’s good enough to be prioritized in leadership and funding.

Pay Creatives Their Worth

The city loves to extract creativity but struggles to compensate for it. How many artists, designers, and strategists have put their talent into Charlotte’s identity, only to be offered exposure instead of actual payment?

If Charlotte wants to be a cultural hub, it has to stop treating creative work like a favor and start treating it like the economy-driving force that it is.

Charlotte—Girl?!—you have everything you need to be great, but you’re standing in your own way. Stop looking sideways and start owning your space.

The world is watching—what are you going to do?

With Realness,
An Outsider

Ashley Mozingo, MBA, can be found at @coachmozingo on all social media platforms.